To facilitate the recovery of hydrocarbons from oil and gas wells, subterranean formations surrounding such wells may be hydraulically fractured. Hydraulic fracturing may be utilized to create cracks in subsurface formations to permit oil and/or gas to move toward the well. The formation is fractured by introducing a specially engineered fluid, sometimes referred to as a fracturing fluid or slurry, at a high pressure and high flow rate into the formation through one or more wellbores. The fracturing fluid may be loaded with proppant, which are sized particles that may be mixed with liquid of the fracturing fluid to help form an efficient conduit for producing hydrocarbons from the formation to the wellbore. The proppant collects inside the fractures to prop open the fractures formed in the formation. The proppant may comprise naturally occurring sand grains or gravel, man-made proppants (e.g., fibers or resin-coated sand), high-strength ceramic materials (e.g., sintered bauxite), and/or other suitable materials.
At the wellsite, proppant and other fracturing fluid components are blended at a low-pressure side of the pumping system. The oilfield materials often are delivered from storage facilities to a blender by pneumatic systems, which employ air to convey the oilfield materials. Water and/or other liquids are then added, and the resulting fracturing fluid is delivered downhole under high pressure. Handling the proppant prior to blending may include transporting the proppant to the wellsite via trucks, then to holding silos or bins, and subsequently to the blending equipment. Prior to blending, the proppant handling and dispensing assemblies are assembled at the wellsite.